Sharpen your Product Management skills | Telerik Academy Upskill
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Telerik Academy Upskill

Become an in-demand
Product Manager
in the IT industry 

Overview

All Product Management skills packed in one program 

Master today's leading product management practices in the most comprehensive hands-on training. Learn from renowned practitioners leading globally successful products and companies. 

  • If you are a Product Manager at the beginning of your career or have relevant experience and want to switch careers, this program is right for you  
  • You'll learn Product Management as implemented in the leading software product companies 
  • Upon graduation, you’ll be able to manage the end-to-end software product development process - from start to finish 
Program duration

3 months. You can combine the program with your job or studies

Lectures

2 evenings/week - Monday and Wednesday (7:00-10:00 pm). Start: Sept 30

Commitment

6+ hrs/week plus self-prep time and optional team consultation (every weekend). 2 weeks of vacation

Format

Lectures will be held online. Onsite networking events (optional)

Language

Conducted in Bulgarian, but all learning materials are in English

Career webinar

Eager to learn more? Watch our webinar

Advantages

Unparalleled
learning experience

1The most complete Product Management program For 15+ years, we’ve been perfecting our programs with a fanatic focus on quality and practical experience. So you can supercharge your career in 3 months vs. years with other courses.
2Unique learning experience At par with the leading international programs, minus the impressive price tag. Our holistic program reinvigorates online training. It is meticulously crafted and paced to keep you constantly engaged and to accelerate your progress.
3Instantly transferable skills Work on real-world projects and master new techniques, tools and frameworks you can immediately apply at your job. Level up your career.
4Learning from the best Get access to some of Bulgaria’s best experts and brightest minds, who share real-life experience and know-how and become your mentors. Guiding you every step of the way.
5Strong professional network Work in groups with ambitious like-minded professionals, where you learn from each other, and expand your knowledge and skills. A powerful network that will boost your career.
6Investment in yourself Set yourself apart both inside your company and in the job market. Our alumni share the program pays for itself many times over with the opportunities it creates.

100% success, 100% confidence

15+
years experience
100%
consider their Telerik Academy 
education a good investment in 
their professional development
100%
confidence in the value of the 
program and its impact on the 
life of the students

The role of the Product Manager

Product Managers are crucial for the success of IT companies. They drive the strategy behind new products and managе the product development process from idea to creation.

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Product Managers bridge the gap between user needs and business opportunities.

They collaborate with various domains, work on exciting new ideas and solve complex problems.

Both rewarding and challenging, the role is at the heart of product software companies.

Product Managers can come from various backgrounds: tech or business, and are highly sought-after professionals worldwide.

Application

Is this for me? Yes, if you're
  • Product Manager at the beginning of your career
  • Entrepreneur, Project Manager, Business Analyst, Marketer or a Software Engineer eager to switch careers 
  • Company looking to upskill your employees. Get in touch
Do I need previous experience?

You must have at least 1+ years of relevant experience.

How can I apply?
  1. Submit your online application
  2. Pass an online test on product management fundamentals 
  3. Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview

Timeline

  • may
  • june
  • july
  • aug
  • sept
  • May 29 - Sept 23 | Submit CV and application form
  • July 3
    Watch
    our Career Webinar
  • May 29 - Sept 23 | Take
    online product management test
  • Sept 30 - Jan 15 |
    Study at Telerik Academy Upskill
Important dates
  • May 29 - Sept 23 | Submit CV and application form
  • July 3 | Watch our Career Webinar
  • May 29 - Sept 23 | Take online product management test
  • Sept 30 - Jan 15 | Study at Telerik Academy Upskill

 *Dates, timeline and curriculum are subject to updates.

Program details

Тhe Upskill program at a glance

  • Hands-on
    training
  • Tailored learning
    experience
  • Learning online
    from anywhere
  • Two-week trial
    period
  • Built to fit
    your schedule

Hands-on training

Hands-on-training

Every topic is paired with hands-on assignments, covering the complete product management process. The culmination - you’ll create a full-blown PM strategy and present it in front of your trainers and fellow learners.

Tailored learning experience

Tailored-learning-experience

Class sizes are up to 35-45 people for the best possible learning experience. Our trainers become your mentors - track your progress, provide feedback, give you individual and team support and guide you all the way through.

Learning online from anywhere

Learn-from-anywhere

Enjoy an unparalleled program from the comfort of your home. We transitioned every aspect online to keep the same renowned high quality, engaging experience and hands-on training. You can attend optional networking events.

Two-week trial period

Two-month-trial

Be 100% confident this is the right training for you, with our thorough candidate selection and two-week trial period. If you drop out in the first two weeks after the program starts, you won’t pay any tuition. Simple as that.

Built to fit your schedule

Built-to-your-schedule

With classes 2 nights a week and optional team consultations every Saturday, this Upskill program allows you to balance all your responsibilities. Perfectly fitting your busy schedule.

Validated by the industry

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uber_Logo
skyscanner-logo
progress-logo
paysafe-logo
imperiaonline_logo
leanplum-Logo
nemetschek-Logo
acronis-Logo
officernd-Logo
ocado-Logo
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Curriculum

Meticulously designed curriculum

Crafted in collaboration with the business, our Upskill Product Management program equips you with the skills companies demand.
  • 01Weeks 1-2
  • 02Weeks 3-4
  • 03Weeks 5-6
  • 04Weeks 7-8
  • 05Weeks 9-11
  • 06Weeks 12-13
  • 07Weeks 14-15
  • 08Graduation

Product management fundamentals 

  • Get familiar with the product lifecycle, the product management phases and product-market fit 
  • Populate the lean canvas for your product and start validating your hypotheses by talking to prospective customers 

Market research 

  • Learn about the different types of research and where to find research data 
  • Put what you have learned into practice and find reliable sources of data for your industry 

Customer interviews. Customers segments and personas  

  • Learn how to structure the problem, validation interview
  • Define and prioritize the customer segments
  • Create the primary persona for your product and get familiar with the best practices for conducting persona validation

Customer needs

  • Understand the applications of Jobs to be Done

Managing creativity in product development

  • Learn more about Design Thinking
  • Learn different brainstorming methods that cover generation, co-creation and evaluation of ideas and use them in a creative brainstorming workshop with your team

Value proposition. Competitive analysis

  • Design the value proposition. Define performance, must-have and delighted features for your product
  • Gain a good understanding of data sources and tactics you can use to analyze competitors
  • Learn what types of competitors you have
  • Gather data and conduct a product and strategy comparison

Financials and pricing  

  • Get familiar with basic concepts in accounting and finance
  • Understand key principles applied in pricing
  • Prepare market size estimates
  • Learn how business models are built 

Product strategy 

  • Differentiate between the four types of innovation 
  • Get familiar with the CHASM model 
  • Learn how to make strategic decisions about pivoting and pricing

Vacation

  • One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills through team assignments.

Mid-term project presentation

  • Present your current findings in front of your trainers and fellow learners, explaining all steps of the process

Testing the biggest risks 

  • Identify your riskiest assumptions and get tips and tricks on how to test your ideas

Technology for Product Managers

  • Get familiar with the types of applications and application architecture in software development 
  • Learn how to collaborate effectively with the engineering team 

    Prototyping. Solution validation

    • Discover how to create your own prototype and what tools you can use  
    • Get familiar with UX principles and best practices
    • Master structuring solutions validation interviews

    Frameworks and methodologies

  • Get familiar with the most popular frameworks and methodologies in software development: Scrum, Agile, Kanban and Waterfall

Backlog Development

  • Define use cases, user journeys, epics, stories, tasks, chores

Vacation  

  • One week free of classes to unwind. You’ll be able to further strengthen your skills through team assignments  

OKRs and Roadmaps 

  • Learn how to define and align Objectives and Key Results (OKRs)
  • Build your product roadmap

Metrics and analytics 

  • Learn how to choose useful metrics 
  • Define a North Star metric for your product 
  • Learn how to conduct data-driven product optimization
  • Design, run and analyze A/B experiments

Collaborating with your stakeholders

  • Learn how to identify and understand your stakeholders
  • Define a strategy to influence them to build your product
  • Define what the marketing team needs from product managers
  • Get acquainted with the marketing funnel concept and marketing strategy basics

Innovation and Disruption

  • Get familiar with the basic tenets of disruptive innovation
  • Learn how and when to use innovation and disruption to make your business grow

Final project presentation  

  • By the end of the program, you will have developed a complete Product Management strategy, using everything you’ve learned throughout the program
  • You will present it in front of your trainers and fellow learners, explaining all steps in the process  

Graduation

 

Congratulations! You’ve successfully completed the Upskill Product Management program.

Upon graduation, you will receive a Telerik Academy certificate – widely recognized in Bulgaria. 

Your team

Leading industry
experts – your trainers

Learn from the best. You'll be trained by leading practitioners eager to share their know-how and experience.

Lead
trainer

Nikolay_Kazmin
Nikolay Kazmin
Co-founder and CTO,
Domestina
Contributed to the success of:
Philanthropedia, GuideStar
Nikolay has extensive experience as an entrepreneur. Currently, he's the CTO and co-founder of the cleaning platform Domestina. He's proficient both in technology (MSc) as well as in business (EMBA). He introduced the course Product Management at AUBG and is teaching at both bachelor's and master's levels.

Guest
lecturers

svetozar-georgiev
Svetozar Georgiev
Co-founder, Telerik, Telerik Academy & Campus X
Contributes to the success of:
the BG startup ecosystem
Svetozar is a co-founder of Telerik, Telerik Academy and Campus X. He is an active angel investor in up-and-coming Bulgarian startups and an active mentor to young entrepreneurs. He is a Chairman of the board of the Bulgarian Startup Association BESCO.
Alex Marinov
Alex Marinov
Group Product Manager,
AMPECO
Contributed to the success of:
Glassdoor, Alliance Data, AT&T, Uber
Alex is a Product Manager with 10+ years of experience at software and internet companies including AMPECO, Uber, Glassdoor, Epsilon/Alliance Data and Microsoft. He's passionate about solving real-life problems through technology for the benefit of millions of people around the world and he finds inspiration in the art of making something out of nothing.
Emil Tabakov
Emil Tabakov
Product Manager,
Icanpreneur
Contributed to the success of:
Coursera, Progress, Telerik
Emo has more than 10 years of experience in the Software Development field. He has a solid technical background as a software engineer and leader of engineering teams with all kind of technologies. Recently, he enjoys the role of a Product Manager at Coursera - a leading world-wide online learning platform, focused on revolutionary hands-on learning experience.
Elina Zheleva
Elina Zheleva
CEO,
launchlabs Sofia
Contributed to the success of:
ING, Accenture, Telenor, Roche
Elina has 13+ years of experience in international Project Management, Strategy, Finance and Biz Dev before converting to design thinking in 2013. Since then, she has melted design and business disciplines to create a unique launchlabs approach to redesigning organizations into more customer-centric and innovative workplaces. She has worked with clients world-wide, including ING, Accenture, Telenor, Roche. Elina and her team will have the pleasure to co-facilitate the class on "Managing Creativity in Product Development."
Ivaylo Ivanov
Ivaylo Ivanov
VP of Product Management,
CleverTap
Contributed to the success of:
Progress, Telerik
Ivailo is an experienced B2B Product Manager focused on product strategy and data-driven product planning. Currently he is leading the Product Management org at CleverTap, implementing best practices and supporting PMs' career development.
Antoaneta Tsaneva
Antoaneta Tsaneva
VP Product and Product Design,
Quantive
Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Progress, HP, Lucrat
Product and design leader with over 17 years of expertise in developing and leading product and design organisations, developing and executing UX and product strategy. Committed to effectively leading product and design teams and operations. Enjoys mentoring and advising individuals and startups to help them grow.
Ivo Kanev
Ivo Kanev
Product Builder,
Tiger Health
Contributed to the success of:
PAY.COM, Nuvei, PhoneArena, OneBit Software
Ivo is a seasoned product leader who has built and launched one of the first disposable virtual card solutions in a fintech product. He had two successful exits, and he now advises a number of companies in the fintech and digital healthcare industries.
Vesna Stojanovska
Vesna Stojanovska
Senior Growth Product Manager,
Insurify
Contributed to the success of:
Skyscanner, Progress, Telerik
Vesna has 12+ years of experience in managing and scaling products. She is a Senior Growth Product Manager at Insurify. Previously, she has helped Skyscanner in speeding and scaling the search results and acted as a division manager at Telerik and Progress, driving their B2B and SaaS solutions. She has built successful products from their inception, validation and the entire product delivery lifecycle.
Hristo Pentchev
Hristo Pentchev
Site Lead Bulgaria and Director of Product Development Operations,
CleverTap
Contributed to the success of:
Leanplum, Microsoft, IT Inkubator

As a Director of Product Development Operations, Hristo coordinates CleverTap’s product teams to deliver high-quality software on time. With over 15 years of tech experience, he has a diverse entrepreneurship and program management background. Previously, he led Leanplum ProdDev (acquired by CleverTap in 2022). Hristo also worked as a software engineer at Microsoft, COO at a German startup incubator, and lead organizer of Techstars Startup Weekend.

Nikolay Georgiev
Nikolay Georgiev
Senior Product Marketing Manager, Bynder
Contributed to the success of:
Brithish American Tabacco, BRITVIC PLC
Nikolay brings over 14 years of marketing experience spanning B2B, B2C, and various industries including FMCG and tech. He has held marketing roles at local, regional, and global levels in both large multinational corporations and smaller businesses. Currently, Nikolay is based on Amsterdam and works at Bynder, a leading scale-up recognized as a leader in the DAM industry by Forrester.
Alexander Kitov
Alexander Kitov
VP of Product,
Telerik Academy
Contributed to the success of:
ZenGo, Paysafe, betahaus
Alexander has over 12 years of experience as a product manager and entrepreneur. Before joining Telerik Academy, he worked for Paysafe and ZenGo. Before that, Alex co-founded betahaus (the first coworking space in BG home to startups and freelancers) and Perpetto, an ML-driven product discovery and personalization software. His responsibilities today cover the full product management spectrum - from upgrading Telerik Academy products and services to developing entirely new ones.
Diyan Mihaylov
Diyan Mihaylov (Diddo)
Senior Product Manager,
Fintech, Uber
Contributed to the success of:
Scalefocus, PwC, Flutter
Diddo has diverse experience, building B2B products in Scandinavia, B2C products in Silicon Valley, and advising startups as an interim Head of Product / CPO. He is also the co-founder of the biggest product management community in Bulgaria - ProductTank Sofia Community. He regularly contributes tips & tricks on product management in his weekly newsletter – NO BS, Just Product (on Substack). Diddo will co-facilitate the class on Influencing Stakeholders.
Vesko Kolev
Ivana Gancheva
Business Agility Catalyst,
Mobius Ways
Contributed to the success of:
Deutsche Bank, Lastminute.com, SINTEF Digital, Ocado Technology
Ivana has been in the Agile/Lean field for over a decade. She is helping companies reinvent their organizational culture and business growth, and become adaptive and learning organizations. She coaches and mentors decision-makers, C-level corporate executives, leaders, Product Managers and teams, who have the passion and intent to disrupt the status quo and enable genuine growth.
Vesko Kolev
Vesko Kolev
Business leader, Speaker, Investor, Co-founder and CEO, icanpreneur
Contributed to the success of:
Telerik, Progress, Kendo UI
Vesko is a business leader and software engineer with 15+ years of experience. He is co-founder and CEO of a startup and an investor in Tinusaur. Until recently, Vesko was VP of Product, Developer Tooling, at Progress, and was responsible for a team of 200 software engineers, technical support engineers, product managers, product marketers, and UX designers, based in the US and Bulgaria. You can hear him speak on topics such as leadership, communication, and mentality.
Alumni Success

Changing lives. Powering businesses

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Valentin Tchergarsky
Product Manager
Experian

This is a world-class training, covering both in theory and practice all key areas of Product Management. It featuers interactive and dynamic lectures, led by brilliant experts. I highly recommend it to any individual wishing to start or upskill as a PM professional.

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Nikolay Drumev
Product Manager
PubGalaxy

The program was very comprehensive and conducted in a way that helped me understand the material, even though I had little direct prior experience. It nurtured me to achieve and learn a lot more than I would expect from any course, and most importantly it boosted my career jumpstart as a Product Manager.

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Sophia Takeva
Business Analyst
BDO Global IT

In 3 months, I acquired new knowledge and skills, while working alongside a great group of professionals. Even if you are an experienced Product Manager you can still learn a lot from the lecturers, who are successful experts and entrepreneurs leading their companies and PM teams.

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Bernhard Niebsch
Head of Product
Paysafe

Telerik Academy’s reputation speaks for itself. Aspiring product professionals and even more seasoned Product Managers will find the program extremely valuable. The product profession constantly grows and evolves, while some fundamentals never age. So, having the opportunity to learn something new or re-discover something you thought you knew, will make you a better Product Manager.

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Richard Haywood
Head of
Ocado Technology Sofia

The program covers a range of Product Management essentials which will empower people to start or continue their Product Management journey. It is great that Telerik Academy is offering this course as I am sure that many people will find it both interesting and very useful.

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Stefan Stefanov
Senior Manager, Product Management and Product Marketing
Progress

For everyone looking to get into the world of Product Management this course, taught by the professionals at Telerik Academy, is the best place to gain practical experience in today's leading practices for Product Management.

    Tuition model

    Joining Telerik Academy could be your single most important professional decision.

    Pay in installments

    BGN 211/month

    for 24 months*
    with a bank partner

    Notify me

    Pay in full

    BGN 4,700

    full tuition upfront
     

    Notify me

    Terms tailored
    to your needs

    • Price including VAT.
    • Tuition fee can be paid by either You or Your Employer upfront.
    • Opportunity to pay in installments with a loan from a bank - partner of Telerik Academy - Allianz.
    • Deferred payment over 12-24 months’ period.
    • Candidates working in the NGO sector can apply for a 90% discount off the tuition fee (two per cohort)
    • Drop-out with no consequences up to 2 weeks of the program start.

    *Illustrative installment payment method. Different terms may apply based on borrowers’ credit score and creditworthiness as well as the bank’s current offering.

    FAQ

    Do I need any previous product management experience?

    The program is designed for both junior Product Managers and professionals who have at least 1+ years of experience in fields such as project management, business analysis, marketing, or software engineering.

    Whether you are a Product Manager at the beginning of his/her career, an entrepreneur who wants to advance in product management, or you are looking for a career switch and have relevant experience, this program will equip you with in-depth understanding and practical experience to help you manage the product development process from scratch and advance in your career.

    Can I choose between online and onsite training?

    Due to COVID-19, the program will be held online. While we transitioned the program online, we kept everything else unchanged - same high-quality training, engaging learning experience and 100% focus on practice. You will have online lectures 2 times a week, optional consultation for each team (every Saturday) and optional onsite networking events.

    Please note that attendance is key to our students’ successful graduation. Participants must attend all classes. Up to 3 days of absence are allowed, plus the program has 2 one-week vacations.

    How much does the training cost and what are the payment methods?

    The tuition fee for Telerik Academy Upskill Product Management is BGN 4 700. The fee could be either covered by you or your employer. In both cases, the fee is paid via bank transfer prior to the program's start.

    Another tuition fee option is to pay in installments with a loan from a bank, partner of Telerik Academy. You can benefit from a deferred payment over 12-24 months’ period.

    Do you offer discounts for the NGO (Not-for-profit) sector?

    Yes, if you are a candidate working in the NGO sector, you can apply for a 90% discount off the tuition fee (two per cohort).

    You must submit your Upskill Product Management application and follow the requirements for candidate selection. If you are invited to join the program, your employer will be required to sign a contract with Telerik Academy and cover 10% of the regular tuition fee for the program.

    Please note that the candidate selection process evaluates the candidate’s profile, not the NGO’s.

    What does the online product management test include?
    The test aims to assess your general knowledge across 3 domains: IT Project Management, Market Research, Competitor Research, and consists of 27 closed-ended questions. It will be accessible after your complete your application. Once started, you’ll have 30 minutes to do the test.
    What is the candidate selection process?
    We use a holistic review process when evaluating applicants for admission. The final selection of candidates is not based on a simple formula of grades and test scores. Instead, we consider a variety of factors: application documents, online product management test results, personal motivation for applying, etc.

    Some candidates might also be invited to attend an interview to additionally discuss their motivation and aspirations. Interviews focus on candidates’ motivation and aspirations and determine if the program is appropriate for each candidate based on their needs, expectations and experience.
    What is the length/cadence of the program? Can I balance it with work or studies?

    To get the most out of the program, you’ll need to immerse yourself in it for 3 months. To recharge your batteries, you’ll have 2 weeks of vacation.

    With classes 2 nights a week, this most complete hands-on Product Management program makes it possible to also balance work or other responsibilities. You can attend optional team consultations with your team and the program's lead trainer. 

    What does “two-week trial period” mean?
    If you drop out of the program within the trial period, which is in the first 2 weeks of the program, you won't pay any tuition.
    Does Telerik Academy help alumni find new jobs after successful graduation?
    As this is an Upskill program, it isn’t geared towards connecting learners and businesses. But the skills and experience you gain will help you excel in your career and/or find a new job, just like it helped our alumni reach their career goals.

    Have other questions?

    Check out our FAQ or visit the Forum

    Learn when the next admission opens.

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